Six Odisha BJP leaders included in Party National Executive

Six BJP leaders from Odisha have been included in the national executive of the party announced on Thursday by president Amit Shah.

The leaders are Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, Rourkela MLA Dilip Ray, chief spokesperson of State BJP Suresh Pujari, senior leaders Biswabhusan Harichandan and Bijay Mohapatra.

Besides, State unit president KV Singhdeo and leader of the BJP Legislature Party (BJPLP) Basant Panda are special invitees to the national executive. Surama Padhi and Sanchita Mohanty, who were national executive members earlier, didn’t find a place this time.

There was no new face from the state as all of them were also members of the last national executive committee.

The 111-member national executive comprises top party leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, besides a host of top party leaders.

All the eight chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and two deputy chief ministers, including in Jammu and Kashmir where the party shares power with PDP, 24 former chief ministers and three former deputy chief ministers are permanent invitees to the national executive.

Apart from 111 members, the national executive will have 27 permanent invitees and 40 special invitees.